Tubular conveyor



March 4, 1958 J. R. Howl-z TUBULAR coNvEYoR Filed may 1o. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Joqnv R. Howe ATTORNEY March 4, 1958 J. R. HowE 2,825,443

y TUBULAR CONVEYOR Filed May 10, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-3 INVENTOR. John R. Howe ATTORNEY Mmh 4, 195s J.. R. HOWE 2,825,443

TUBULAR CONVEY OR Y Filed May 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 '.ol r i l l x u. E o E I0 INVENTOR.

John R. Howe AT'TORNEY United States Patentl O TUBULAR CONVEYOR i .lohn R. Howe, Denver, Colo.

Application May 10, 1952, Serial No. 287,092

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-213) This invention relates to tubular conveyors and more particularly relates to tubular conveyors having a rotary screw member as the material moving component of the assembly.

Tubular conveyors of this type are used for many purposes. For example, in grain handling operations, it is frequently necessary to move grain from truck bodies or other transport vehicles into storage bins or sheds and to move grain into different locations within such sheds. The increasing demands for storage on farms and the increase in size of storage facilities for grain and other granular materials has created a demand for tubular conveyors in greater lengths and -of greater material handling capacity. In shorter lengths, it is possible to mount a single, continuous spiral flight section on a single shaft and to drive such assembly in the tube through a single transmission system in association with a motor or other exterior power source. However, when lengths of fifty feet or more are needed, the weight of the material required in the spiral assembly in order to satisfy the durability and functional requirements of the moving parts greatly reduces the mobility of such units and creates excessive power requirements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, durable and efficient tubular conveyor which is adapted to be produced as relatively a long unit without impairment of mobility or operating ellciency of the unit.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable and eicient tubular conveyor comprising a plurality of independent functional sections assembled as a unitary structure with separate drives for each of the sections of the assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable and efficient tubular conveyor unit having a novel suspension for the spiral conveyor member of the unit.

Other objects reside in novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be fully described in the course of the following description.

The present invention is based on the discovery that a tubular conveyor can be formed of alternate stationary and rotary tube sections with a spiral conveyorl member formed of joined central shaft and spiral ight sections extending throughout the length of the tubular conveyor and the rotary tube sections being formed integrally with the associated shaft and spiral section to provide a highly eicient bearing support for the rotary members, thus reducing the power requirements for a unit of given length and capacity.

The practice of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, in the several views of which like parts are designated similarly,

Fig. l is a side elevation, partially broken away to show the arrangement of interior parts, of one f orm of conveyor unit embodying features of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevation partially broken to show interior arrangement of a modified form of driv ICC ing assembly for a tubular conveyor embodying features of the present invention,

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevation, partially broken to show interior arrangement, -of another modified form of driving assembly for a tubular conveyor embodying features of the present invention, and

Fig. 5 Iis a section taken along the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

The structure shown in Fig. l represents a typical embodiment utilizing features of the present invention. The conveyor unit shown in Fig. l comprises a tubular portion 6, inclusive of a plurality of enlarged housing portions 7 and 7a providing vcylindrical enclosures for bearing assemblies 8 and 8a respectively, in which portions of the conveyor mechanism of the unit are journalled for rotation. The housings 7 comprise two identical sections 7x and 7y having abutting llanges 9 joined by' bolts 10 or the like. f

Flanged angle members 12 are welded :or otherwise held against movement on the tubular portion 6, as shown at 13, and are held in bolted connection with the enlarged housing portion 7 as indicated at 14.

A shaft comprising alternate driving .and driven sections 16 and 17 extends'throughout the length of Ithe tubular conveyor with the respective sections joined as shown at 1S. The section 17 is formed integrally with a spiral flight section 20 and a tubular extension portion 21, the latter being journalled for rotation in bearings 8 `and forming an extension of the tubular portion 6 of the conveyor.

At intervals along tube 6, a transmission system connects the shaft 16 and its associated flight sections 22 with a suitable prime mover (not shown). The transmission system comprises a sheave 24 having a shaft 23 journalled in bearings 25 interiorly of housing 7a and carrying a bevel gear 26 meshing with a second bevel gear 27 in bolted connection with the extension portion 28 of tubular member 6.

The structural arrangement just described makes it possible to have a conveyor unit of any desired length, such as feet for example, with a single driving section and with any plurality of driven units such as the assembly enclosed within the housing units 7. By providing driving and driven sections 17 and 16 of the shaft unit carrying the spiral ight sections 20 and 22, the spiral conveyor may be easily rotated under full load conditions without requiring undue weight in the conveyor assembly or a large capacity power unit to provide the necessary motive capacity.

The conveyor unit shown in Figs. 2 and 3 employs a structural arrangement similar to the one just described,

except for differences in the driving assembly. I t has a tubular portion 6 as previously described, idler units within housing enlargements 7 (not shown), a shaft comprising shaft sections 16 and 17 and spiral flight sections 20 and 22. The housing enlargement of the driving assembly of this conveyor unit 4comprises two sections 30a and 30h held together by bolts 31 and containing a bearing assembly 8b in which the tubular extension 28x is journalled for rotation and a sheave 32 is fixed on extension 28x for rotating said extension within the bearing assembly 8b.

A second sheave 33 mounted on a stub shaft 34 journalled in bearings 35 carries a second sheave 36 which is adapted to be connected with a prime mover (not shown) and rotates the extension 28x through the intermediary of V-belts 37.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are similar to those previously described except for dierences in the driving features. Between section of tube portions 6, an enlarged housing member is mounted comprising cooperative sections 30x and 30)' which are joined by nunit. l" Y' i On very longi'le'gths, a plurality. ofY driving 'assemblies the tubular extensiony 28x, Shafpsection 17 and spiral ights rotate. Y

A sprocket member 44 whichY is mounted on a shaft 34ic-'journal1ed vinifjearV ings-xfandcarryingatg'its opposite endaf driverr she'aye 36x'connected with a prime mover '(not-shown)l Ay chain 37Jc`.interconnects. sprocketsV 42,"and 44to-jprfovide 'tlieY powerftransmission'. Y Y 1 p Y Y In all the described ar-rangements, the functioning ofV 'Y the unit-will,15e-essentiallyV the-same.l The tubular ,con-

veyorismadetoany desired le'ngthr'andK will comprise driving assembly. YPrefer-abb? the unit` willv befinf several Vs'ectionsfwrhein vlong'flmit's arerequired` andfeach section `42, is held onrthe exterior of ex;VV tension`r zsx'fy-Bolts :4a-and is: driven by? a d'rivesprocket one orrv more vfidle'r fb'earing assemblies andgat-ls't'one will be a co'nve'nie'nt'-shippingV length. At the site of in- Y l 'stallationg thefseveralsections: will be joined by connectingthe'shaftrisections V1 6 and 17"'and associated structure;V Any; Vofthe sheavesr 24,136orf36x can be con;

Y nctedlwiththe prime mover such- 'as van velectricrmoto'r 4ori gasoline engine by V-belt.- l K Anydesired'feed inlet (not shown) which is usually i an endfopenng in the tubular Iconveyor 6, 'ormay be a v separate feeding device isy 'connected tolsaid tubeV and the) opposite end of the conveyor-'will be'open to effectV the discharge, to` which a discharge spout may be connected ifdesied. s ,Y u

Grain or other free fiowing'ror gral'nilarY materiall is Vfc'l--.in'tofthe conveyor at the feed inlet, and thereafter i'sadvan'cefd through thelength ofthe uniti-by the rotaintherotary tubgportions v28 or` 28xL- The bearing'supports fortherspiral providedat intervals throughout the lengthv fof* the units permits the' tube Vand the` conveyor mechanism lto be Inadeffrorn light weight Yparts Without sacrificing size,vv dura-bility; orfunctional eiciency4r of the' will be incorporated ina lsin'ngile'L conveyor unit, medium or shorter Y lengths f a- .simple fdriving unit vwill Ybe,

' ample. Prefeably,va plurality of idlerrbearing'eunits will:

` tiomofyme spiral night, Vinclnsiveirof me nightsv zon/iinY berprovided 'in' most installations, althoughfor'minirnum Y Ylengthsvonevsuch assembly atene end fof-'theA tubp'and Vone drivingpassembly at the oppositeend will'prvide' adequate support forftlerotary'members.

;,1 =mm the foregoing, if will `lieap'parem mit 'the mae tic'zexo'f` the present, invention Vpermits considerable choice and individual, selection in the lengths fof unitstobe'operated and in the'arrangeme'nt o f vdriving and driven bear-v ing assemblies within the unit, in addition to the size'aridjY composition of'material'comprisingtheunit. *Y Q l' if While the different forms of driving arrangement shown i Vintl'redrawingshave-been separately describedit willbe understood Ythat although they' are intended :jas alt'erirate arrangements, allof suchiforns fmi'ght' be included inQa' l the formj of Fig. 1` Vdriving one conveyor section; the

forni of Fig; 2,drivinga second sectiom,'and` thefortn; of 4 a thirdsction. Usually'onlyoneformof,dvee Pwill'be provided even in multiple driveunitsbecause ofi` Y the operators preference` for such form.

conveyor; In such event, the shaft would extend beyond theend offthe'ftubeand carry a sheave,-j sprocket-or ygear u as required. Suitable' support would be Vprovided by r0- tary tube sections and associated bearing structure in the foregoing arrangement.r f Y Y l In allsuch arrangements, the; tube comprises alternate stationary and rotary sections in coaxial arrangementY with the bearings for th'e` rotary Vsection supportedrfrom Y Y p adjoining stationarywsections.- Asassembled, the shaft f andassociated spiral ribbon: is` a functional unite-and may be drivenatanyxselected point along its lengtlnsfbutVY preferablypat a central point inthe shorter lengths,V and. Y at uniformintervals in thernultiple driving"arrangements.

By having thetrbearings for the rotary membersfpositioned outside the path Yf Ymaterial Ytravel itis possibile Y to utilize the entire interior spaceorf the Vtubeas a' conveyoi and no dicultyarisesffrom jamminggor bindingYY at the bearings as would occur if internal vbearingsfvverej provided: iA'ls'o, the tierings-prlovide1-ample'supportfor Y Y whatever weight ofr'otary structure is required venK and-fneneee conveyor structure neredsonlyf-sufr':

ficient metal t o resist Wear'and prevent distortion.`Y` Whatllrclaimis; Y Y Y 1. A tubularconve"yarY comprising an Y'elongated t substantially constant diameter, sind.tubefliaviligialter;V nate rotary/and 'Stad oniiryjportions detacli'auyinfefcnf Y rre'c'te'd` lengthwise Yof saidV conveyor Yand-provided ,withy la feed inlet at oneend and'ardisharge outletattlregop--'Y Y positie-"e'rld,y a' sectionalizeclY rotary spiralInemliverextend V Y ing'thi-JonghsaidA tube'iandr'tatable as a unitQsaidmemberhaving'agcontinuous shaft and a continuous'spira'lf ribbon attached thereto,z each-'section of the spiral 'ine/ntl' bei' en-closedby-faY rotary vvtub'e portion being fintercinnected withz said@ 'tube forconjoint rotationth'efrevvithg a rotary"sejal1t=each2junction of a rotary portion and-jaY stationary portiona bearinghousing'jsnpported from@ Y two;statinnaryftnbepertiens andenclosing an intermediate rotary^portion5 Vsaid' rotary' portion being4 journalledfforrotation insaid Yhousing 'and drive means mountedin said"Ile'arin'ghousingl exteriorly of said tubeA and Being interconnected with at least one of Ysaid rotary tubefp'rn tions .for drivingsaid spiral member@ s; structure 'asfdennea ii-'claim im wniminiejdriving 1 i Y mansiisvbielt transmission. 'f f meansisa vchain fand sprocket afs'semlraly.Y` Y Y Y; `References of,thisp'atentv 't UNiTED sTArsPATENrs; Y L'Qtzgjr' ,Y `56 In additi'om `when the conveyor length is not; too-great v Vit is possible to drive diectly'onto the shaft of Vthe spiralV sans; f swim 

